Conservation Commission Past Events

Around 30 folks gathered at the Fitch Farm for a hands-on workshop led by Dave Wichland of Wichland Woods. He has been growing mushrooms for almost 20 years. Dave gave an in-depth talk on all things mushrooms. Each participant/group then went to work inoculating their logs with the spawn needed to grow mushrooms. There were two types of mushrooms to choose from: shiitake or oyster mushrooms.

Around 30 folks gathered at the Fitch Farm for a hands-on workshop led by Dave Wichland of Wichland Woods. He has been growing mushrooms for almost 20 years. Dave gave an in-depth talk on all things mushrooms. Each participant/group then went to work inoculating their logs with the spawn needed to grow mushrooms. There were two types of mushrooms to choose from: shiitake or oyster mushrooms.

Conservation Commission Past Events

Megan Chapman, MSES, Conservation Project Manager at Upper Valley Land Trust talked about past conservation projects in Cornish and opportunities and options available for protecting additional natural resources and lands in our community.

View the presentation (pdf)

UVLT Videos:
Conservation Solutions for Places You Love
Conservation Stories – Jim Fitch Interview

Conservation Commission Past Events

A group of around 60 folks of all ages from all around the area gathered at the Town Offices for an engaging talk by Chris Schadler.

The clever and resilient coyote is our native song dog and a top predator in the northeast. While Western coyotes evolved on the Great Plains, our Eastern coyote has been shaped by red and gray wolves, dogs and the wily western coyote. The habitat in the northeast supports deer which encourages a larger size, longer stronger legs and a more developed packing instinct in this predator. Despite the ecological benefits the coyote brings, it is the most persecuted carnivore in North America. And yet, it survives and thrives despite efforts to eradicate it.

Chris Schadler, M.S., Conservation Biology, will discuss coexistence strategies whether you farm, hike or garden. “Understanding the mind and ecology of the coyote can keep us one step ahead of problems”, according to Chris, who, with 30 years of wolf and coyote research, sheep farming, and teaching, will demonstrate that “knowledge is power” when it comes to living with coyotes.

Learn more about Chris and coyotes at ProjectCoyote.com

Conservation Commission Past Events

A great group of gardeners and farmers joined Seth Wilner, of the UNH Ext., at his garden in Newport NH to talk about soil health, organic gardening practices, cover crops, season extension, crop rotation, and establishing a pollinator habitat among other topics.

There are some great resources about soil health available through the UNH Extension, UVM Vermont Pasture Network, and Vermont Grass Farmers Association.